Auxiliary inking unit for multilith press



Aug. 13, 1957 s. D. FORBES AUXILIARY INKING UNIT FOR MULTILITH PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 8, 1954 INVENTOR 51 5mm 0, FORBES BY y a, r v

1957 s. D. FORBES 2,802,417

AUXILIARY INKING UNIT FOR MULTILITH PRESS Filed NOV. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fipmam 0. ICORBES United States Patent C) 2,802,417 AUXILIARY INKING UNIT FOR MULTILITH PRESS Spencer D. Forbes, Seattle, Wash.

Application November 8, 1954, Serial No. 467,370

7 2 Claims. (e1; 101-450 .This invention relates to improvements in inking means for printing presses and it has reference more particularly to the. provision of an auxiliary inking unit designed for ready application to Multilith presses as a means of obtaining a better inking operation and for minimizing the inking difficulties that are inherent in the existing inking roller structure of present day multilith printing machines. a.

Itis the principal objectjof this invention to provide an auxiliary inkingunit that stops fast ink rundown and graying out of color that is due to inking ineificiencies, and minimizes that objectionable result known in the printing art as ghosting.

,Itis 'a further object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary inking unit that can be easily and readily appliedto existing Mutilithfmachines to supply the necessary quantity of ink to form rollers and to the image in a smooth, even, continuousfilm properly rolled into fine, uniform particles, thusto minimize sheet spoilage and to eliminate those'press. stops that are made for ink adjustment. 1

Further objects and advantages of the present invention reside in the details of construction and combinationnof, parts embodied in the present unit, and in the mode of application 'and use of the unit, as will hereinafterbe described. f

In'accomplish'ing these and other objects of the invention,'I have provided the improved'details of constructionpthe preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

.Fig. l is a perspective view of an auxiliary inking unit embodied by the present invention showing some parts of the press to which it is applied for functional support.

Fig; 2 is a top view of the same, showing it as applied for use to the opposite side frames of a press; the medial parts of the unit being broken away to reduce the length oftheview. v

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3"3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the auxiliary unit and indicating the relationship of its"rollers'to certain of the inking rolls'of-the press. l

- Fig. 5 i s a view showing the usual arrangement of inking rolls of presses of the type with which the present unit is adapted for use. p p

Fig; 6 is a similarview diagrammatically illustrating the relationship ofthe' inking rolls of the auxiliary unit to the inking rolls ofa press to whichthe unit is applied.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In Fig. 5 l have diagrammatically shownthe usual arrangement" of rollers" for? the conveyance of ink from an ink fountain-to the plate cylinder of a typical Multilith press, and-by means of arrows thereon,1 have indicated the directionof rotation of the rollersand cylinder. In Fig.;.6,' I: have shown the pressinking, rollers, as seen in Fig. 5, ,and' also have shown the..fun'ctional relationship thereto of the inking rollers of the auxiliary unit of the present invention when functionally applied to the press.

. 2,802,417 Patented A 13 1957 ICE 3 In these views the ink'fountain is designated by numeral 10 and the plate cylinder is designated by numeral 12.

A fountain roller '13 extends along the fountain 10 and at all times is in rolling contact with the ink supply. It

5 is mechanically driven at a suitable speed by convenl 24 which is in rolling contact with roller 23 and alsov tional means not herein shown, as is also the plate cylinder 12. The train of ink conveying, spreading and applying rollers between the fountain roller 13 and plate cylinder 12 comprises a ductor roller 15 that is supported at its opposite ends for oscillation by links 16--16 which at their upper ends carry the roller mounting shaft 17 and at their lower ends are supported for oscillation on the press frame structure. This ductor roller 15 incident to its oscillating action, which is effected by conventional means not herein shown, transfers ink from the fountain roller 13 to a driven roller 18 mounted to turn about a stationary axis.

Mounted in rolling contact with-the press cylinder 12 are upper and lower form rollers 19 and 20, and supported "in rolling contact with each of these is the press oscillator roller 22. It is indicated in Fig. 5 that the ink which is supplied to roller 18 by the ductor roller 15 is transferred therefrom to the roller 22 through a train of rollers. This train comprises a roller 23, which at all times is in'rolling contact with roller 18, a roller with a roller25 which latter maintains rolling contact with the press oscillator roller 22. The transfer of ink effected through this train ofrollers, 18, 23, 24, 25, 22 and 19, is indicated by the line of arrows which begins in the roll 13 and terminates at the line of contact be which the present inking unit is to be used comprises a rigid frame structure including opposite side frames designat'e' d inFig. 2 by numerals 26-26. These frames are joined in spaced relationship by suitable means including a cross-rod 27 which has been shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. This cross-rod in the present instance has been selected to serve also as a means of support for the present auxiliary inking unit, as will presently be explained.

The present auxiliary inking unit, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises threeink transfer rollers, in parallel and contacting relationship, mounted for rotation in a frame structure that is readily and easily applicable to certain selected parts of the existing press structure so that the rollers of the unit will assume the desired functional relationship to the rollers 19 and 25 as shown in Fig. 6. In this view, the three rollers of the auxiliary unit have been shown cross-hatched for emphasis, and they are designated, respectively, by reference numerals 30, 31 and 32. Y

i It will be explained in this connection that the rollers 30*and 32 are of high speed neoprene rubber. The roller 31 is an oscillator roller and is machined .from high grade brass tubing. The oscillating mechanism contained therein is that usually employed and is not herein described as'it forms no part of the present invention. It is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 that the three rollers of the auxiliary unit are mounted in a rigid frame structure comprising opposite end plates, 3535;- that are rigidly joined in spaced, parallel, vertical planes by tie-rods 36 and 37; the rod 37 having endportions37' thereof extended beyond the end plates 3535 for a purpose presently disclosed. This rigid frame structure is received for functional support between the opposite side frames For purpose of thisexplanation, the forward end of the press will be designated as that wherein the ink fountain is contained and the rearward portion is that wherein the plate cylinder 12' is contained.

Forwardly of the location of the cross-rod 27, the opposite side plates 26 and 26 formed intheir top edges with upwardly opehing slots" 38-38, wherein the opposite end bearings of across-shaft 39, on which the roller 25" is revoluble, are "seated.

At their forward ends the opposite side plates 35-35 are formed with'downwardly opening cylindricallycurved notches or recesses providing seats 40' adapted to receive and seat the cross-rod 27 therein for the'support of that end 'of'the frame, as has'been'clearly shown in Fig. 4. In order' that the frame maybe helcl'in this'position of support on rod 27', spring clips 42 are fi xed u nder tension to the? opposite end plates 35-35 topress upwardly against the underside of 'cross rod 27. It is shown in Fig. 4- that the springs 42 are looped around headed studs 43, mounted intlie plates 35, and have ends hooked into holes' 44 in the plates, thu's'placingthe end of the clip which engages'the rod- 27 under tension.

The roller 32 is supported mermaids by an axial shaft 44 which is revolubl'e' at'its opposite ends in bearing blocks-45 which are held contained between the'parallel, opposite-side edges .ofdownwardly opening slots 46 that are formed in the lower edge portions of the opposite side plates 35. 'I-his roller is thus held in positionto restin rolling contact upon the upper form roller 19. The roller 31, likewise, is'mounted on a shaft 48 that is mountedffor rotation at its ends in blocks 49 that are fitted and held against: rotation in downwardly opening slots 50 formed in the lower edges of the opposite side plates 35.. This roller is thus held in position for rolling contactwith the topside of the upper form roller 19.

The roller 30 is carried by the vertically movable ends of a pair of .arms60-60 that extend along the lower edges of the opposite side plates 35-35, with their forward ends pivotally fixedto the plates by pivot screws 61. The roller is mounted by an axial shaft 62 which, at its ends, is equipped with bearing blocks 63 that are seated and held against rotation in downwardly opening slots 64 formed in plates 64 that are adjustably fixed to the swinging ends of the arms 6.0-6.0'as extensions thereof by means of screws 65.. The. roller 30, asthus mounted, rests-in rolling contact with and between the rollers 19 and 25, as shown in Figs. ,4 and 6;

The three rollers of the auxiliary unit as carried in the frame structure, are yieldingly pulled downwardly, each against its supporting roller or rollers, by coiled springs 66 that are attached at their ends, under tension tothe outer end portions 37' of cross-shaft 3 7 and to the head 4 tightly against roller 30, and the rollers 30 and 32 firmly against the'rollers i9 and 25.

Assuming that the auxiliary unit comprise the parts which have been formed aiid assembled as above described, it is applied to a Multilith machine in the following manner:

First, the anchor pin mounting clamps, comprised by the bolt 70 and nut 69, are applied to the cross-slots 71 I ink supply.

portions 67 of levers 67 that are secured to pins 68 that ent'end inwardly from the side frames 26-26 as seen in Fig. 2. it is shown in Fig. 3 that the pins 68 project inwardly from the inner faces of nuts 69 that are applied to and'se cure'd by clamp bolts 70 that are contained in upwardly opening notches 71 formed across the top edges of the side amaze-26 of the press. The head portions of the levers 67 have centrally located key-hole slots 72" formed therein to receive the pins 68, and the lever arms serve as means foran easy release of the levers from the pins or for their application thereto. 7 i

It has been shown in Fig. 4 that there is a certain amount of lateralclearancebetween the sides of the blocks 45 in which the axial shaft 44 of roller 32 is contained, and the parallel opposite sideedges of the block containing slots 46. The blocks, 45 are also closely fitted in downwardly opening slots formed in slide plates 74 that are mounted. on the outer surfaces of the side plates 35 by screws 75 as seen in Fig. 4. These slide plates are pulled toward the roller 30 by coiled springs 76 that are' fixed under tension to the side plates 74 and to studs 77 fixed in the frame side plates. Thus, at all times rollers 31 and 32 are drawn tightly together, While the tension of the springs 66 maintains the roller 31 formed in the top edges of the opposite side frames 26-26. The unit is then applied between the side frames and the seats 46 formed in the opposite side plates 35-35 are applied against the top side of the cross-rod 27 and the spring clips 42 are engaged against the underside of the cross-rod and the unit is then lowered to cause the rollers 30 and 32 thereof to come to rest against roller 19 as shown in Fig. 4. Adjustment of the head plates on arms 60-60 is then made as may be required to properly position the roller 30 for rolling contact with the rollers-1:9 and 25. Thesprings'66are then attached under tension to the pins 681th hold the unit properly in place. The various rollers of-the press, 'andthose of the auxiliary unit then are in the furi'ctional relationship shown in Fig. 6, providing a'second inking circuihbetween rollers 25 and'19 as indicated bythe line or arrows thereon, a. double inking feed. i V V l i In addition to the above advantage, the auxiliary rollers hold aireserve of ink, breaking it into a smooth, even film. The oscillating rolle-r'31, between the rubber rollers 30 and-32, keeps inkproperly; distributed at all times, replacing ink that has been removed by solid areas. Fast rundown, graying out and other difliculties are minimized, as also in ghosting which results from an inadequate Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to'secnre by Letters'Patent is;

. 1. In a Multilithpress, or the like, having a plate cylinder, a form roller adapted for rolling contact with plates on the plate cylinder, a first roller train including an oscillating roller in rolling contact with the form roller and the'oscillating roller'serving as the end roller-of the first roller train, said first roller train providing a path along which ink is caused to progress from a source of supply to the oscillating; roller for distribution thereby to the form roller; a removable auxiliary. inking unit comprising aframe and a succession of rollersmounted in the frame in rolling contact with each other and providing a secondrolleritrain and a second path through which ink is caused to progress, said auxiliary inking unit comprising a train of three rollers and the intermediate roller of thetran being an oscillating, roller, the roller at the forward endfof this second train'being in rolling contact with one of the rollers of the first mentionedtra'in which is in advance oftheoscillating roller and the roller at the other end of this train being 'in rolling contact with said form roller and means secured to the frame whereby the rollers of the auxiliary inkingunit are held in pressure engagement.

2. A Multilith press as in claim 1 wherein means is provided on the frame of the auxiliary inking unit to removably secure the unit to the press, said means comprising spring clips extending forwardly from the frame and adapted to engage a cross rod of the press and spring means secured to the frame rearwardly of the spring clips and attachedt'o the press frame whereby downward and rearward press ne 'is exerted on the frame of the auxiliary "inking unit References, cream the fil'elof this patent UNITED STATES BATENTS I luck Sept. 4, 1945 

